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Ingredients

1 small or 1/2 large head of cauliflower (about 1 pound), cut into small florets

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, patted dry

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, divided

8 ounces casarecce, gemelli, or other medium pasta

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6 cups baby arugula

Preparation

Heat 4 Tbsp. oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium-high. Add capers and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until they burst and are crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer capers to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Reserve oil in skillet.

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Reviews

love this pasta! made it with grilled halibut that was also citrusy and garlicky, and it was perfect. however, i'd be more than happy to have this on its own (no additional protein needed unless you want), and it kept perfectly for dinner again the next day. my husband is not a huge pasta fan and gave this two thumbs up because of the flavor profile and heartiness. a keeper!

This was so good! Even the meat fanatic in our group was impressed. I used spinach kale ziti and threw in some asparagus. I was going to top it with fresh Parmesan, but it wasn’t even necessary. We will definitely be keeping this recipe.

Fabulous recipe! I love it! The combination of ingredients is innovative and delicious, and the directions work. Has anyone mentioned the crispy capers? They are the icing on the cake; they add the most delightful surprise to every bite. (I suppose all recipes are variations of other recipes. I think this one is sufficiently different from Colu Henry’s, in part because the cauliflower is sautéed, not roasted, and the recipe contains additional ingredients (butter, chickpeas, and arugula) and does not call for any parsley, cheese, lemon zest or red pepper flakes, which are typical of pasta-centric recipes.)

Enjoyed this a lot but agree that it is a little flat without enhancement. I like a little heat so love the addition of red pepper flakes. I also cut the butter and oil and added asparagus (because i had it to use) but any other veggie addition would work. i added in the arugula (and spinach) to the pasta and let it wilt, then also served the pasta over a bed of spinach for more of a salad-style dish.

surprisingly awful. I'm usually on-target with identifying recipes that I will like, and this was just really not good. Very flat and dry (despite the addition of extra lemon juice) and made worse by the garbanzo texture, which doesn't usually bother me. Would need lots of changes to make it palatable; agreed that adding chicken, artichoke hearts, veggies would improve significantly, but then it's an entirely different recipe. One of the few I've had to remove from my recipe box.

This recipe is solid. Next time I make it, I'll halve the butter and salt, double the garlic, and add red pepper flakes. I might also change this recipe up by using roasted or rotisserie chicken in place of chickpeas (as a few people have mentioned), adding cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, parsley, haricots verts, or bell pepper. I'll definitely try a variation of this recipe again.

More cauliflower!!!! I did cut some oil and butter to bring it down a notch based on some comments. Also threw the arugula in the bowl first followed by the pan of pasta, cauliflower, chickpeas, and sauce. I found that all the arugula got coated when I served up the supper. Very happy with the end result.

Is this supposed to be a riff on Colu Henry's Rigatoni w Roasted Cauliflower & Crispy Capers from Back Pocket Pasta? Likewise is Stockwell's 15 minute meat sauce supposed to be the Bon Appetit version of Henry's Sugo? I only picked up Henry's book out of curiosity a couple weeks ago & then noticed the similarities because I have the epicurious app. Should Stockwell acknowledge Henry, or is this a common-enough pasta dish
that I should just shut my mouth?

I made this with broccoli instead of cauliflower since my husband doesn't like cauliflower and it was yummy with a delicate lemony flavor. I used only one clove of garlic since I don't like strong garlic and a little extra oil in the pan when the cauliflower was cooking as it was really charring. I will make this again with more cauliflower. I poured the pasta over the arugula and loved it. Ate it three days in a row and still loved it.